Taproot’s “The Christmas Foundling” warms the heart

If Bret Harte was considered the American equivalent of Charles Dickens during his time, asserted by Taproot director Karen Lund, then The Christmas Foundling, a Harte-inspired Christmas tale by Norman Allen, would be the equivalent of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Set during the 1850s gold rush in a California mining town, it’s Christmas Eve when a curmudgeon named Old Jake (Grant Goodeve), and his laconic counterpart, Hoke (Jason Adkins), are suddenly thrust into guardianship of an orphaned baby boy when his mother dies from the elements after giving birth. They name him Tom and bumble as miners turned caretakers in the womanless town of Piny Gulch; population 6.

Fellow prospectors and town residents, Boston (Justin Emerick), Moscow (David Anthony Lewis), and Georgia (Eric Riedmann), named after their respective places of origin, are like Uncles to the young boy, assisting Hoke and Jake with his upbringing. Though none of them can read or write, their life lessons serve as replacements for books and Jake serenades them with folksy anecdotes on the guitar.

Circa 10 years later, a woman blows into town while looking for her long-lost sister and would be 10 year old nephew. She arrives on Christmas Eve as the men are awaiting Jake’s annual, embellished story-telling of young Tom’s homecoming, the only link Tom has to his past. That is until the identity of the first woman to grace the area with her presence in a decade is soon revealed as the boy’s Aunt, Sarah (Casi Wilkerson).

Though Sarah respects the bond that has grown between the men and the child, she’s steadfast in her belief that his life would be best spent in a sophisticated town. Would the merits of an unrestricted childhood in the wilderness outweigh the appalling fact that Tom is illiterate and so is everyone around him, despite the college fund supplied by his Uncles? Faced with the dilemma of sending the boy to Boston with his Aunt after her plea to give him a proper education and upbringing, Hoke and Sarah have a few heartening conversations before a decision is ultimately reached.

Grant Goodeve as the sage Jake is played with charm and candor, and his down home singing puts the audience right at home. Adkins’ Hoke is pensive and rough, albeit thoughtful, while Emerich, Lewis and Riedmann round out the men with comic relief as a drunken trio; though each acting their geographically bent characters to a tee. Most notably Lewis’ Moscow, playing fully to the burly Russian stereotype. Wilkerson makes fine woman of sophistication as Aunt Sarah. The young Tom (Danny Helms) though lacking any depth beyond the script was a cute kid.

The Christmas Foundling is the perfect story for Taproot’s holiday season and fits in nicely with the theatre’s mission. Faith, hope and love are what it’s all about, coupled with a passion for the craft, as evidenced in the fine acting performances. If you missed Dickens this year, remedy it with a visit to Taproot Theatre.

The Christmas Foundling is playing now through December 27th at Taproot Theatre.